Proposed site for new Johnson High raises concerns

A rock quarry owned by Alabama Construction is just a few miles behind the proposed site for the new high school.

HUNTSVILLE, AL (WAFF) -

Huntsville school leaders have big plans for building new schools.

The proposed site for the new J.O. Johnson High and Junior High school is off Pulaski Pike near Winchester Road.

Residents in northwest Huntsville have wanted a new school for years, but some see a potential problem with the proposed site.

A rock quarry owned by Alabama Construction is just a few miles behind the proposed site for the new high school. Folks who live near it say explosions at the quarry blasting rock can be felt miles away and is causing cracks in their home foundations.

The issue has come up in the past for school leaders to consider. School leaders are awaiting results of an environmental study where air quality and traffic safety concerns are reviewed, among a list of other things.

Johnson was built in 1972 to house more than 2,000 students. It currently only houses 580.

School leaders have said the new school needs to address the current enrollment numbers that are not expected to grow.

This site is really appealing because moving Johnson High only about a mile and a half away from the current school, would put 85 percent of its students zoned within a mile or two away.

If the environmental study comes back with red flags, Huntsville City Schools still has the option to pull the deal off the table.